Coffee package which communicates usage indicia

ABSTRACT

A coffee package having a coffee product having a reduced density; a usage indicia associated therewith the coffee package; and a principle indicia having associated therewith the package.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional application 60/930,706, filed on May 18, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

This invention relates to a coffee package which communicates the amount of usage received from the product contained in the package.

BACKGROUND

Manufacturers of consumer products are successful when they understand how consumers measure what they desire in their products. Understanding this helps manufacturers design packages which communicate these desirable features and the consumer benefit gained from the product. Not communicating these certain desirable features in a way the consumer can measure can often hinder sales in a competitive market for consumer goods. In the coffee industry, consumers have a need to understand how many uses they can receive from purchasing a product. Providing the consumer this information can allow the consumer to make an informed decision and can provide a competitive advantage for the company.

Therefore, there is a continuing, unaddressed need for communication of a way consumers can measure the consumer benefit particularly for coffee products.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes a coffee package having a coffee product having a reduced density; a usage indicia associated therewith the coffee package; and a principle indicia having associated therewith the package.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a coffee package of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of the coffee package of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Section I. will provide terms which will assist the reader in best understanding the features of the invention but not to introduce limitations in the terms inconsistent with the context in which they are used in this specification. These definitions are not intended to be limiting. Section II. discusses the package of the present invention. Section III. discusses the test method. Section IV. discusses the process of making reduced density coffee. Section V. contains examples of the present invention.

I. TERMS

The following are terms which will assist the reader in best understanding the features of the invention, but do not introduce limitations in the terms inconsistent with the context in which they are used in this specification. These definitions are not intended to be limiting. “10.5-ounce coffee”, “11.5-ounce coffee”, “13-ounce coffee” and “16-ounce coffee” are roasted coffee products having tamped densities, after vibratory settlement into package, such that 10.5, 11.5, 13 and 16 ounces (298, 327, 369 and 454 grams) of each product, respectively, has a dry volume of about 1000 cc. The bulk densities are respectfully 0.263 g/cc, 0.288 g/cc, 0.325 g/cc and 0.4 g/cc.

As used herein, “consumer product” refers to any product which is typically used by a consumer, such as paper products, laundry products, kitchen products, bathroom products, automotive products, and personal products. Illustrative examples of such “consumer products” include solid laundry detergents (i.e., granules, tablets, powders, pastes, and the like); liquid laundry detergent (including gels, liquid-gels and the like); light duty detergents; unit dose laundry detergents; bleaching compositions; dryer sheets; fabric softening compositions; pretreater compositions; pre-treatment devices; dye trapping sheets; fabric refreshing compositions paper towels; toilet tissue; facial tissue; paper plates; paper cups; writing paper; greaseproof paper; disposable dusting sheets; wrapping paper; feminine hygiene products (such as tampons, pads, adult incontinence products, interlabial products and the like); diapers; disposable wipes; aluminum foil; polymeric kitchen films; dish detergent; sponges; disposable plates; disposable cups; disposable tableware; scouring pads; mops; buckets; automatic dishwashing detergent compositions; automatic dishwashing rinse aids; water filters; water filter cartridges tile cleaners; toilet cleaners; floor cleaners; automotive polish; tire cleaner; automotive air fresheners; car wash; automotive washing systems; hand soap; razors; shaving cream; body wash; shampoo; conditioner; face wash; toothpaste; vitamins; medicaments; deodorant; tooth brushes; makeup; nail polish; lipstick; and makeup remover.

The term “coffee,” as used herein, refers to roasted coffee that has been treated with any form of energy to have generated a “roasted” coffee flavor and has come from the seeds of a coffee plant or tree.

The term “density”, as used herein, refers to bulk density, i.e., the overall density of a plurality of particles measured after freely flowing into a container of a known volume.

The term “principle indicia,” as used herein, refers to the principle indicia selected from trademarked product identifiers, store brands, private label brands, trademarks, trade names, flavors, branding, words, phrases, letters, characters, brand names, company names, company logos or symbols, logos, icons, designs, designer names, symbols, insignias, shapes and combinations thereof.

As used herein, “indicia” refers to scent, branding, packaging, properties, sound, words, phrases, letters, characters, brand names, company names, company logos or symbols, descriptions, logos, icons, designs, designer names, symbols, motifs, insignias, figures, marks, signals, colors, textures, shapes, tokens, advertisements, and combinations thereof. As used herein, “in association with” means the indicia are either directly printed on the consumer product itself, a container/package itself, or a label attached to the consumer product and/or container/package and/or are presented in a different manner including a brochure, print advertisement, electronic advertisement, and/or verbal communication, so as to communicate the indicia to a consumer.

As used herein, “label” refers to a convenient point-of-purchase site for the principle indicia, lesser indicia, and the like and combinations thereof. The term “label” is used herein in the broadest sense includes the tangible medium that may optionally contain one or more of the principle indicia, lesser indicia, and the like and combinations thereof may be optionally expressed including, by way of illustrative example, the placing of principle indicia element directly on to a container/package (e.g., printing or molding), the printing of lesser indicia on a substrate wherein the substrate is placed on the outside surface of the container/package, or packaging such as boxes that enclose the container/package. In one embodiment, an olfactory scent descriptor may also be provided via a label (e.g., packaging). For example, the label itself may be scented, i.e., comprise the scent.

The optional labels of the present invention may generally mimic the shape of the container/package. Illustrative examples of suitable labels include partially wrap-around labels, wrap-around labels, shrink-wrap labels, stickers, in-mold labels hang-tags, labels conveying the name of the product and combinations thereof.

In one optional specific embodiment, the label is a clear substrate such that the usage indicia, the principle indicia, and/or lesser indicia may be printed on to the label and the container/package or composition therein. Without wishing to be bound by theory, a clear label may maximize the color of the product or the tint of the container/package in communicating to the consumer.

In another embodiment, the label has a background color to further communicate to the user. For example, if the flavor is chocolate, the label may have a chocolate background color to further communicate this flavor to the user given the visual association of a chocolate color to chocolate flavor. In another non-limiting example, if the coffee is positioned as a premium product, the canister may have a shiny maroon color, the cap may be a gold color, and the label may have a gold background color to further communicate that the coffee is premium to the user given the visual association of a gold color which indicates premium.

In one optional embodiment, the label is “shrink wrapped” on the container/package. In another optional embodiment, the label is adhered to the container/package by an adhesive.

As used herein, “lesser indicia” is selected from flavor, scent, branding, packaging, properties, sound, words, phrases, letters, characters, brand names, company names, company logos or symbols, descriptions, logos, icons, designs, designer names, symbols, motifs, insignias, figures, marks, signals, colors, textures, shapes, tokens, advertisements and combinations thereof.

As used herein, the term “1-pound coffee can” relates to a coffee container which has a volume of about 1000 cc. Historically, one pound (16 oz. ) of coffee was sold in this volume container. This corresponds to a bulk density of approximately 0.4 g/cc.

As used herein, the term “reduced density coffee” relates to roasted coffee which has a bulk density of from about 0.200 g/cc to 0.38 g/cc. The term “usage indicia,” as used herein, refers to a benefit, property, feature, image, scenario, or the like that is generally recognized by consumers as being beneficial in choosing a product and associates a way of measuring a particular consumer product during use for a consumer.

Illustrative examples of usage indicia include the number of cups provided in a coffee package; the number of loads received from using a detergent package; the number of pumps provided for by a soap package; and the number of uses gained from a shampoo package.

II. PACKAGE

The unique combination of elements displayed on the coffee package translates into an immediate consumer impression upon seeing the package/container. A consumer upon seeing the principle indicia and the usage indicia would immediately realize that the package/container is providing information beneficial to the consumer. This almost immediate communication of the important consumer benefit enables savings in labor, time and reduced, possibly even substantial reduced investment in marketing, advertising and the like, as the consumers upon seeing the package/container already has been educated by the usage indicia which communicates the benefits of the coffee product therein. By communicating the usage indicia to the consumer, the consumer can make an informed purchase decision.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an embodiment of the present invention which includes a coffee product 10 being products sold in a package/container with principle indicia 16. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the coffee product 10 is sold under the FOLGERS® brand name and packaged in a package 12 exhibiting on the package 12 a principle indicia 16, for example, the FOLGERS® mark.

The reduced density coffee product 10 can be from about 0.1873 g/cc to 0.2718 g/cc. The reduced density coffee enables roast and ground coffee products to be made with significantly less coffee weight per canister while delivering the same number of servings for typical consumer coffee making preparation habits (volumetric scooping). The reduced density is achieved by substantially lowering the coffee density while increasing flavor development and extractability. The resulting coffee product has considerable cost savings by reducing the amount of coffee mass that is required by 10-35% or more.

In addition to the principle indicia associated therewith on the package 12, the package 12 has a usage indicia 18. The usage indicia 18 communicates to a consumer reasons why the consumer might wish to purchase the products and can influence a purchasing decision by the consumer. In the embodiment shown, the usage indicia 18 can be used to communicate the number of cups of coffee in a package. The cups can be measured in any size. In one non-embodiment, the cups are measured by 6 oz. In another non-limiting embodiment, the usage indicia 18, 24 can be used to communicate the servings of a pre-determined cup size in a package. The usage indicia should be visible to the consumer at the point of sale.

In addition to the principle indicia associated therewith on the package 12, the package 12 can have a lesser indicia. Specifically, the package 12 can have a lesser indicia 30. For example, for the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each principle indicia 16 can have associated with it a lesser indicia 30, such as flavor.

While the present invention is particularly useful in the product category of coffee it can find equal utility in other categories such as oral care products, baby care products, fabric care products, pet care products, health care products, floor care products, car care products, laundry care products, electronic products. Non-limiting examples can include as first and second products, respectively, toothpaste and mouthwash, diapers and wipes, detergent and fabric softener, toilet tissue and facial tissue, snack foods and beverages, shampoo and conditioner, razor blades and shaving cream, dry mops and floor cleaning compositions, printers and ink cartridges, coffee and coffee filters, electronic gear and batteries, dog food and dog treats, and the like. For each of the above, a product from the same brand names can be identified and paired together with a principle indicia and usage indicia for marketing at the point of sale.

The package/container, may be of any size, shape, volume, material, texture, opaque, transparent/translucent, waste soluble, water insoluble, and the like. In one optional embodiment the container/package is an opaque container/package. This opaque container/package more specifically comprises a color and more specifically releasably contains a coffee product contained therein. In another optional embodiment, the package/container may be translucent/transparent. This translucent/transparent package/container more specifically releasably contains a colored coffee product contained therein.

The package/container may comprise a material. The material may be selected from: metal, such as aluminum, steel, brass, copper, tin, and the like; wood; laminate, such as wood laminates; polymeric laminates, such as carbon fiber laminates, and the like and combinations thereof; paper; cardboard, such as fiberboard, cardboard and the like and combinations thereof; polymer, such as polypropylene, polyacrylates, synthetic rubbers, natural rubbers, polyethylene, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, high density polyethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, diethyleneglycol bisarylcarbonate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, epoxy resin, polyamide-based resins, low density polyethylene, styrene butadiene copolymers, acrylonitrile, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, cellulose acetate butyrate and mixtures thereof; fabric, such as cotton, hemp, nonwoven materials, wool, polyester fabrics, poly cotton blends and the like and combinations thereof, ceramic, such as terracotta, china, “redware”, majolica and the like and combinations thereof; glass, such as Pyrex, safety glass, laminated glass and the like and combinations thereof; film, such as polymeric film laminates, high density polyethylene films, low density polyethylene films, medium density polyethylene films, and the like and combinations thereof; and combinations thereof.

Clear or translucent plastics useful herein include those that are colored or tinted in such a manner that the light transmission of the plastic is preserved. Polyethylene terephthalate is a preferred plastic. Likewise the materials may be processed in single or multiple layers. Because a variety of different materials may be used in the construction of the packages/containers of the present invention the materials selected will be based on the intended end use and characteristics required of such a package/container.

As noted previously, when present, the package/container may be of any shape. In one more specific embodiment the package/container has a shape selected from cylindrical, tubular, conical, frustum of a cone, spheroidal, cubodial, pyramidoidal, and combinations thereof.

III. DENSITY TEST METHOD A. Principle

A fixed weight of coffee sample is allowed to fall freely from a funnel for a fixed distance into a cup of known volume. The excess coffee is removed with a straight edge and the weight of the coffee in the cup obtained. The density is calculated as the weight of the material divided by the volume in which the material is encapsulated.

B. Scope

This method is applicable to the measurement of bulk density of ground or flaked vacuum packed coffee. The precision of the method is based on the reproducibility of the technique used to fill the cup.

C. Apparatus

Weighing Container 1000 ml beaker Bulk Density Apparatus Ohaus bulk density equipment—Model 86- 38100 Filing hopper and stand (Part NO. 151) Product Cup Ohaus product cup—1 pint dry (Part No. 104) Seedburo Equipment Co., 1022 West Jackson, Chicago, IL 60607 Leveling Straight Edge 1¾″ × 12′ × 1/32″ stainless steel straight edge Template 5″ × 5″ square piece of ⅛″ thick plexiglass with a ¼″ hole drilled in the center Balance 1000 g capacity or greater, 0.1 g sensitivity Pipette 5-25 cc pipette recommended

D. Calibration of Product Cup

-   1. Tare the empty product cup and template on a balance. Once the     product cup and template has been tared, remove the template and     fill the product cup with distilled water (70±5°). -   2. Carefully place the template on top of water filled cup. -   3. Using a pipette, pipette additional distilled water through the     hole in the template until the water level in the product cup is     completely touching the underside of the template. -   4. Read directly from the balance for weight (grams). -   5. Volume calculation: Weight of distilled water     (grams)×1.002=volume of cup -   6. The cup is in calibration if the volume is 550 c cc±2.

E. Adjustment of Equipment

-   1. Set up the equipment following the instruction with the equipment     and level it. The leveled bubble is located under the product cup. -   2. Carefully set height from the bottom of the funnel to the top of     the product cup to one and three quarter inches (1 ¾″). Tighten the     set screws on the bracket that holds the funnel onto the stand. The     leveling straight edge can be used to check this distance.

F. Operation Procedures

-   1. Weigh out 220±2 grams of coffee to be measured into a beaker or     suitable container. -   2. Close the funnel gate and pour the product into the center of the     funnel. -   3. Center the funnel over the product cup. -   4. Open the funnel gate. This should be carried out with a quick     single motion to allow the product to fall freely into the cup in     the same manner each time. The cup should overflow. If it does not,     the same was mis-weighed or the density is outside the range of this     method. -   5. Starting at the back of the cup, place the straight edge     perpendicular to the rim, draw the blade across the cup in a smooth     motion, scraping the excess coffee off the cup.

Make sure all the coffee is off the rim before weighing.

-   6. Pour the product from the leveled cup into a pre-tared container     and weigh the product -   7. Density Calculation: weight of product (grams)/Volume of Cup     (550.00 cc)=bulk density -   8. Round off to the nearest 0.5 gram.

Tamped densities of coffee represent the densities of “roasted coffee” particles, granules, pellet(s), and coffee non-granules. 300 grams of coffee are vibrated by conventional means in a 1000 ml graduated cylinder for 1 minute. The volume of coffee is then measured to the nearest 5 ml graduation. The tamped density is determined by dividing the weight of the coffee (grams) by the volume (cc's) occupied by the particles in the cylinder after vibrating. In the case of a single pellet it is the weight (g) of the pellet divided by the volume of the pellet (cc).

IV. PROCESS FOR MAKING REDUCED DENSITY COFFEE

Any method which makes reduced density coffee can be used. The reduction in density of the coffee can be accomplished with extremely fast roasting, darker roasting, by reducing particle packing efficiencies and by combinations of these. Pre-drying the coffees (2%-7% moisture prior to roasting) enable them to be roasted extremely fast while producing less bitter burnt notes thereby making the products more acceptable to consumers. One method which may be used to make the reduced density coffee can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,757.

V. EXAMPLES

The following are a listing of examples illustrating various embodiments of the present invention. It would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Example A

A coffee package has principle indicia which is “Folgers;” the coffee product has a density of 0.285 g/cc; and a usage indicia which communicates cups messaging.

Example B

A coffee package has a principle indicia which is “Folgers;” the coffee product has a density of 0.35 g/cc; and a usage indicia of cups per package. Specifically, the user can make 270 6 oz cups of coffee from the package.

Example C

A coffee package has a principle indicia which is “Folgers;” the coffee product has a density of 0.30 g/cc; and a usage indicia of cups per package. Specifically, the user can make 90 6 oz cups of coffee from the package.

Example D

A coffee package has a principle indicia which is “Millstone;” the coffee product has a density of 0.30 g/cc; and a usage indicia of cups per package. Specifically, the user can make 90 6 oz cups of coffee from the package.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”

All documents cited in the Detailed Description are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention. 

1. A coffee package comprising: a.) a coffee product comprising a reduced density; b.) a usage indicia associated therewith said coffee package; and c.) a principle indicia having associated therewith said package.
 2. The coffee package of claim 1 wherein said reduced density is from about 0.1873 g/cc to about 0.2718 g/cc bulk density.
 3. The coffee package of claim 1 wherein said usage indicia is a measure of cups provided in a product.
 4. The coffee package of claim 3 wherein said cups are a 6 oz size.
 5. The coffee package of claim 3 wherein said cups are an 8 oz size.
 6. The coffee package of claim 1 wherein said usage indicia a number of cups provided in a product.
 7. The coffee package of claim 6 wherein said number of cups is included in a graphic.
 8. The coffee package of claim 7 wherein said graphic is a cup.
 9. The coffee package of claim 1 wherein said principle indicia is a brand name.
 10. The coffee package of claim 1 wherein said principle indicia is a company name.
 11. The coffee package of claim 1 wherein said coffee package further comprises a lesser indicia.
 12. The coffee package of claim 11 wherein said coffee package lesser indicia is a flavor. 